As a renewable, eco-friendly and clean source of energy, solar power involves a whole host of innovative products that could help reduce the overall carbon footprint. Finding it easy and convenient to harness solar energy using panels installed on roofs, many consumers in India and around the world have already shifted to solar power, and are therefore making huge contribution towards a sustainable future. But before you jump on the bandwagon, make sure you understand your power needs and choose a solar power solution accordingly.
Computing Solar Power Requirement
Before you go ahead to buy solar power devices, it would be pertinent to first inquire as to how much solar power for home do you need. For this, you need to compute the power consumption for running all the electric devices and home applications. So suppose, if you have 3 ceiling fans, one television, 5 LED lights, 1 refrigerator and 1 mixer, then 600 Watts should be sufficient for your home needs. For this you can buy 2 solar panels with 320 Watts output each.
Further, you can also compute your power needs on the basis of your past electricity bills. That is, how many kWh a month of electricity do you purchase every month? Based on your calculations, you can determine the power requirements. Further, if you need solar power for home only for a percentage of your electricity consumption, then you can make the installation accordingly.
In case you have only 2-3 rooms in your home, then one inverter should be sufficient for the desired output. Solar inverters are usually bought along with solar panels, and are used to convert direct current derived from sunlight to alternating current. These inverters are important since most of the home appliances work only on alternating current. For a large home with 4-5 rooms and 2 television sets, you would require at least 3 solar panels with 320 W output.
Net Metering
The best thing about solar power is that it allows you to sell the extra electricity generated by your panels back to the main grid. This is done using net metering. But for this, you need to have on-grid inverters that are connected with the main grid. So suppose if you are left with any additional power generated by panels during the day, then you can sell it back to the main grid to earn credits for your next electricity bill. Or, they get deducted from your meter when you use the main grid during an overcast day or during extreme winter months. Thus, net metering could also help you reduce the electricity bill to a great extent.
Conclusion
There is little doubt that solar power is the future of energy usage for home purposes. We can hope that further advancement in science and technology could help bring about more efficiency in solar power generation. Indeed, the steps that are being taken towards efficient solar power for home usage are also in line with the global commitments towards a sustainable future and cleaner earth.
As a renewable, eco-friendly and clean source of energy, solar power involves a whole host of innovative products that could help reduce the overall carbon footprint. Finding it easy and convenient to harness solar energy using panels installed on roofs, many consumers in India and around the world have already shifted to solar power, and are therefore making huge contribution towards a sustainable future. But before you jump on the bandwagon, make sure you understand your power needs and choose a solar power solution accordingly.
Computing Solar Power Requirement
Before you go ahead to buy solar power devices, it would be pertinent to first inquire as to how much solar power for home do you need. For this, you need to compute the power consumption for running all the electric devices and home applications. So suppose, if you have 3 ceiling fans, one television, 5 LED lights, 1 refrigerator and 1 mixer, then 600 Watts should be sufficient for your home needs. For this you can buy 2 solar panels with 320 Watts output each.
Further, you can also compute your power needs on the basis of your past electricity bills. That is, how many kWh a month of electricity do you purchase every month? Based on your calculations, you can determine the power requirements. Further, if you need solar power for home only for a percentage of your electricity consumption, then you can make the installation accordingly.
In case you have only 2-3 rooms in your home, then one inverter should be sufficient for the desired output. Solar inverters are usually bought along with solar panels, and are used to convert direct current derived from sunlight to alternating current. These inverters are important since most of the home appliances work only on alternating current. For a large home with 4-5 rooms and 2 television sets, you would require at least 3 solar panels with 320 W output.
Net Metering
The best thing about solar power is that it allows you to sell the extra electricity generated by your panels back to the main grid. This is done using net metering. But for this, you need to have on-grid inverters that are connected with the main grid. So suppose if you are left with any additional power generated by panels during the day, then you can sell it back to the main grid to earn credits for your next electricity bill. Or, they get deducted from your meter when you use the main grid during an overcast day or during extreme winter months. Thus, net metering could also help you reduce the electricity bill to a great extent.
Conclusion
There is little doubt that solar power is the future of energy usage for home purposes. We can hope that further advancement in science and technology could help bring about more efficiency in solar power generation. Indeed, the steps that are being taken towards efficient solar power for home usage are also in line with the global commitments towards a sustainable future and cleaner earth.
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